21st Century Competencies

21st Century Competencies

The rigor that matters most for the 21st century is demonstrated mastery of the core competencies for work, citizenship, and life-long learning. Studying academic content is the means for developing competencies, instead of being the goal, as it has been traditionally. In today’s world, it’s no longer how much you know that matters; it’s what you can do with what you know. -- Tony Wagner, The Global Achievement Gap

In 1899, educator John Dewey wrote, “Relate the school to life, and all studies are of necessity correlated.” Now, more than ever, modern life requires students to take what they learn in school and apply it at home, at work, in their communities, and in future academic pursuits. Today’s research indicates that students are more successful at ‘transferring’ knowledge when, as Dewey noted, instruction explicitly emphasizes a real-world context. If we are to remain true to Dewey’s statement, we must prepare students by creating learning environments that force students to draw upon multiple knowledge domains to find solutions. Hence, if modern-day students are to be prepared to succeed in this world, public educators must prepare students in a new way.

There is ample evidence all around us of the many changes the 21st century has brought to our lives. WW-P believes that to prepare our students for the world of tomorrow, we must enhance today’s learning environments. The outcomes we want for our students are not new to the 21st century. Instead, they express knowledge and skills that are essential for life in the 21st century. Reflecting time-honored skills, taught via proved learning methods, and supported by modern learning tools, processes, and environments, the WW-P 21st Century Competencies unite these elements into a coherent set of educational objectives to ensure that all students are prepared for success.